Ruschia maxima

Ruschia maxima, the giant mountain vygie, grows into a large, robust shrub of 1 m wide and nearly half as tall. It does not only look strong, it is strongly adapted to thrive in a wide variety of habitats.

R. maxima is found in the Western Cape. The distribution area includes places at altitudes as low as 300 m and high as 800 m.

The plants habitat receives rain in winter, surviving both fire and frost. Plant it “where nothing will grow”. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century (Smith, et al, 1998; www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).